Elliott: False Cathedrals

Elliott: False Cathedrals

2000

Revelation records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Voices  2. Calm Americans  3. Blessed by Your Own Ghost  4. Drive on to Me  5. Calvary Song  6. Lipstick Stigmata  7. Dying Midwestern  8. Shallow Like Your Breath  9. Superstitions in Travel  10. Carving Oswego  11. Lie Close  12. Speed of Film


If "US Songs" provided an accurate snapshot of Emo '98, I feel "False Cathedrals" provides a perfect snapshot of Emo 2000. The original bands began struggling against the their own emo-ness and the spectre of serious music (read:Radiohead) as the cash-insters started infiltrating the scene and making it a clownish spectacle.   As a result, the whole thing becomes a fascinating ghost of itself. Pianos, ghostly keyboard washes and snatches of processed drums color the self-obsession.

All in all, I find myself enjoying "False Cathedrals" (especially its first half) slightly more than "US Songs," although I can't pretend that I don't miss the accessible sing-alongs that were that album's strength. "Blessed by Your Own Ghost" is no "Watermark High": The sugarbuzz is gone but the whole thing ultimately makes you feel more satisfied in the long run (stomach rumbles).  Man, that drumming on "Drive on to Me" is some of the best emo drumming I've ever heard! Good and dancey, skips beats to great effect. The drumming single-handedly elevates the song to the top of my Elliott playlist.

 Again, I find myself clocking out somewhere past the halfway mark. All this sumptuous seriousness does wear me down after awhile, although "Lie Close" does get me moving again and the closer "Speed of Film" is indeed awesome...Maybe I should only buy emo EP's? But this is my problem, If you're into the whole spectral beauty thing you'll probably go bonkers for it, though...It is cool and it's another fine album from the waning days of emo (right before it became the most rancid musical trash-heap known to humankind)...

Here's "Drive on to Me" by Elliott...Enjoy...

Elliott: US Songs

Elliott: US Songs

1998

Revelation Records

Format I own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Miracle  2. Intro  3. The Conversation  4. Dionysus Burning  5. The Watermark High  6. Every Train That Passes  7. Suitcase and Atoms  8. Second Story Skyscraper  9. Alchemy as a Rhythm  10. Ten Cent Inquiry  11. Safety Pin Explanation


This is going to be hard for some people to stomach, but there was a time when "Emo" wasn't  a dirty word. This was before sideways haircuts, Senses Fail,  Bleeding Until September, Hurting Until Monday, and Chris Carrblahblah...I swear to you, in the mid-to-late 90's some of the best records coming out would fall into this now-dreaded category. I still kinda feel that (unfortunately) Emo was the last original movement in the US punk scene. It ended up turning the genre into an listenable mess (that still continues to this day) but for a few years it was all very promising. Mainly because of cool albums like Elliott's "US Songs."

Opening the compact disc, I'm overwhelmed by the sheer Emo-ness of the packaging. Remember the ornate, elaborate CD covers? Full of lyrics printed on rice paper, multiple tiny, oddly shaped booklets,  metallic ink, the obligatory white CD tray? This album is a prime example of the "elaborate personalized diary that I secretly want everyone to read" packaging trend.

And the music? Total quintessential emo. The exaggerated instrumental dynamics, boyish vocals, inscrutable lyrics (remember this is early emo before everyone decided to sob their damn guts out), a dash of moog here and there. Oh, and some nice, fat hooks. Strip the little league baseball jersey from any emo-er who doesn't instantly earnestly belt out  "SUIT SELLS THE LIIINE..." when shown this silvery album cover!

 The album's appeal becomes apparent (or blasphemous, depending on how seriously you take shit) on "The Conversation" when you realize this album is an attempt to scale Sunny Day Real Estate (a band who often sounds like they're trying to swallow themselves) to arenas. In a just world, "The Conversation" would be played to a packed crowd, waiving lighters (or cell phones, sorry...Have to manually adjust my old-man timescale) and hoisting their girlfriends on their shoulders (it suddenly strikes me how awesome the adrenaline surge of "The Watermark High" would sound while eating the $20.00 soft pretzel)...

I also have to give a shout-out to "Suitcase and Atoms," which I seriously put up as a contender for best emo songs of all time.  Everything clicks here. The vocals melody snaps right into the guitar which snaps right into the tight drum rolls. It just works works works. And I don't know if it's just that this song is such a high point, or it could be my faulty-attention span or possibly front-loading, but to be honest, I kinda check out on this album after that song...I mean, there's nothing bad, but it seems like up until that point, everything is so on-point...Maybe it's elaborate-diary fatigue...Who knows?

So yea, I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm a 40-year old man who listens to emo! And I don't care if everyone knows it! Revel in my shortcomings! My shame!  (high) Blood (pressure) On The Dance Floor!

Let's listen to some music...Here's "The Miracle" by Elliott. Emo-joy...